Buzz
Hand-stitched flowers are not only cute but also stylish, but how can you master them? In reality, flower embroidery is easier than you might think! Flowers are the perfect embroidery design for both beginners and seasoned stitchers, as they help you learn and improve your skills. We've gathered different types of flower embroidery to help you create your dream blooms. Let's get started!
What You Need to Know
- Use the straight stitch to create simple flower petals
- Use the woven wheel stitch or the french knot to embroider roses
- Use the lazy daisy stitch or the long and short stitch to embroider curved petals, such as those of pansies
- Use the chain stitch or the stem stitch to create flower stems
Steps
Straight stitch for simple flower petals
Draw a dot and five straight lines radiating from it with a pencil. Start with a dot to create the flower's center. Next, draw five small lines radiating out from the dot to form the petals of the flower.
- Try using an erasable ink pen so you can remove the markings with an iron or hair dryer once you've finished stitching.
Insert the needle at the petal's tip and bring it down to the dot. Continue stitching along the drawn lines, bringing the needle up at the tip of each petal and down to the center dot. This creates a straight stitch.
- Use 2 to 6 strands of embroidery thread for this stitch.
- The more threads you use, the thicker the stitch will be.
Repeat the straight stitching process. Continue stitching according to the design until the lines are fully covered, then finish the stitch. This simple stitch is perfect for beginners and can still create adorable flowers in any size or color.
- Stitch more petals closely together to create dandelion-like flowers.
- Embroider French knots at the flower's center to bind the stitches together.
French knot stitch for rosebuds and flower centers
Insert the needle from below. Mark a dot on the fabric to indicate the stitch's starting point. Wherever you mark, the French knot will be placed, so choose carefully.
- For rosebuds: Place the stitch along the vine or scatter it over the bouquet design.
- For flower centers: Place the stitch in the middle of a cluster of petals.
- Use 6 strands of thread for larger knots or 2-3 strands for smaller ones.
Wrap the thread around the needle 2 times. Hold the needle horizontally in front of you. Pull the thread up and use your other hand to wrap it twice around the needle.
Insert the needle back down near the hole where it came up. Keep the wrapped thread on the needle as you push it down to prevent it from unraveling.
Push the needle through the underside of the fabric. Hold the extra thread taut as you pull the needle through. Continue pulling until all the excess thread is pulled through, forming a neat knot.
- French knots can be a bit tricky, especially for beginners. Don't give up if your stitches aren't perfect at first!
Lazy Daisy stitch for oval-shaped flower petals
Draw a flower with oval-shaped petals on fabric. Start with a small circle to mark the center of the flower, then draw the full petals. Your flower can have 4, 5, or even 10 petals – the number of petals is entirely up to you!
- Each petal will be about 2.5cm long.
Bring the needle up at the base of the petal. In other words, you'll insert the needle and pull the thread up from the underside of the fabric towards you. Start at the base of the petal to stitch the first stitch.
- Use 3 strands of thread for this stitch.
Bring the needle down next to the first hole and hold the thread. Pull the thread just enough to hold it in place. You don’t need to pull all the thread, as the portion you’re holding will form the petal.
- The length of the thread loop you hold should be long enough to reach the tip of the petal.
Use the needle to secure the loop at the petal tip. One hand holds the loop in place, while the other inserts the needle near the petal’s tip and pulls it through the loop to secure it and form the petal.
Repeat this process until all the petals are outlined. This stitch can be used to create various basic hand-embroidered flowers, such as daisies, lavender, sunflowers, and many more! Experiment with different thread colors to embroider any flower with oval or teardrop-shaped petals.
Stem stitch for embroidering flower stems
Draw a line beneath the flower. Imagine the shape of the flower stems as you draw. Flower stems can be straight, curved, or twisted, meaning a perfect stem can take any form you like!
Bring the needle up through the fabric. Start from the farthest end of the flower stem.
- Use 3 strands of thread for this stitch to create a thicker flower stem.
Hold a piece of thread the length of the needle with your thumb facing outward from the embroidery frame. You'll create a thread loop when stitching the stem stitch, so keeping the thread above the stitch will make it easier to form the loop.
Bring the needle down through the fabric, creating a stitch length equal to one stitch. The position where you pull the needle through will determine the stitch length. Keep holding the excess thread with your thumb – this will form a loop of thread.
Bring the needle up at the center of the first stitch. Insert the needle between the two stitches, letting the excess thread hang loose, and pull the thread towards the flower.
Repeat the process until the entire flower stem is embroidered. Keep stitching one stitch, then return to the center of the previous stitch to add the next one. The stem stitch will create a smooth, tight line, making it perfect for embroidering any type of flower stems and branches.
Chain stitch for embroidering flower stems and branches
Draw the flower stem or branch before stitching. Use a pencil to sketch out the lines you'll be stitching. Draw a straight or curved line.
Create an 'anchor' stitch to secure the embroidery stitch. Bring the needle up through the fabric at the start of the drawn line, then bring the needle down beside the stitch you just made. Make sure the two needle holes are close enough to form a small stitch but far enough apart so they don’t touch.
- Use 2-6 strands of thread for this stitch.
- There are different ways to embroider chain stitches, but this is the easiest method for beginners.
Bring the needle up in front of the first stitch. Leave a small gap between the first stitch and the start of the new stitch.
Pass the needle underneath the first stitch. Slide the needle gently beneath the thread of the first stitch and pull the thread through until it is tightly secured underneath.
Bring the needle down through the hole where it was previously brought up. This step forms the first chain stitch link.
Bring the needle up through the fabric again. Leave a space equal to the length of the first chain link. This initiates the second stitch.
Place the needle close to the fabric and thread it under the first stitch. As in the previous step, pull the needle through until the thread is taut.
- If you have difficulty threading the needle under the previous stitch, you can lift the stitch slightly with your finger.
Bring the needle down through the hole created previously in the second stitch. This step will tighten the second stitch and create another link in the chain.
Continue stitching until the entire design is completed. The rustic texture of the chain stitch mimics a small branch or the rough stem of a flower.
Rose stitch for creating roses and poppies
Draw a circle on the fabric using a pencil. Draw a circle that matches the size of the flower you want to stitch. You will stitch along this circle.
Create a 5-pointed star within the circle. The first few stitches of the rose stitch are relatively simple. Bring the needle up through the fabric, starting at the edge of the circle. Next, bring the needle down at the center of the circle. Repeat this process until you form a 5-pointed star.
- Use 5-6 strands of thread for this stitch.
Weave the needle up and down through the 5 stitches of the star shape. Start by bringing the needle up at the center of the star. Pass the needle above the first stitch and below the second, pulling the thread all the way through. Continue weaving in a counterclockwise direction until the circle is fully covered and the star shape disappears.
Finish the rose stitch by guiding the needle down below the flower. Once the flower is complete, bring the needle down through the fabric to finish the stitch. Use the needle to puff up the petals of the flower.
- Try using variegated thread for the rose stitch to create a beautiful ombre effect.
Seed stitch for stitching leaves
Sketch the shape of the leaf. Before starting to stitch, use a pencil to draw the outline of the leaf. Draw a vein running down the center of the leaf. You will base your stitching on this sketch.
- Draw fine lines, as broad strokes will cover more fabric and the needle holes, making it harder to determine where to insert the needle.
Stitch long, straight horizontal stitches on the left side of the leaf. The seed stitch involves long, straight stitches; simply bring the needle up, pull the thread through, and bring the needle back down. Start at the edge of the leaf outline and bring the needle down at the center vein of the leaf.
- Use 3-6 strands of thread for this stitch.
- Keep the edges straight and even by looking directly at the hoop while stitching.
- Consider the tilt of the leaf as well. Angle the needle according to the direction you want the thread to follow.
Đâm kim lên lần nữa bên cạnh mũi thứ nhất. Bước này sẽ bắt đầu mũi thứ hai.
Thêu các mũi dài, thẳng ở bên phải chiếc lá. Chuyển qua nửa bên phải sau khi thêu xong nửa bên trái. Bắt đầu từ mép dưới (hoặc tại vị trí gần nhất với mũi thêu trước đó). Thêu dần lên trên cho đến khi chạm đến đầu chiếc lá.
- Thêu tách riêng hai nửa chiếc lá là để tạo độ gấp của lá giống như đường gân giữa chia đôi chiếc lá.
Mũi đâm xô để thêu những bông hoa păng xê
Dùng bút chì vẽ một bông hoa. Mũi đâm xô sẽ lấp kín các khoảng trống, do đó tốt nhất là bạn nên vẽ viền để làm đường dẫn, ngay cả khi bạn đã thêu thành thạo.
- Hoa păng xê thường có 3 cánh hoa phía trước và 2 cánh hoa phía sau tròn và hơi giống hình trái tim.
Đâm kim từ dưới lên. Bắt đầu từ góc ngoài của cánh hoa.
- Dùng 3 sợi chỉ cho mũi thêu này.
Đâm kim xuống tại góc đối diện của mũi dài đầu tiên. Tạo hình dáng tự nhiên của cánh hoa bằng cách đi theo chiều của cánh hoa mọc ra từ nhụy hoa. Với những cánh hoa păng xê, các mũi thêu dọc sẽ được sử dụng nhiều nhất.
- Nếu bạn không biết chiều của cánh hoa, bạn hãy hình dung bông hoa là một ngôi sao. Mỗi cánh hoa là một cánh của ngôi sao, và tất cả đều tỏa ra từ vòng tròn ở giữa. Đó là chiều của các mũi thêu mà bạn sẽ đi.
Thêu mũi thứ hai dài bằng nửa mũi thứ nhất. Kéo căng chỉ, sau đó đâm kim xuống dọc theo mũi đầu tiên. Bước này tạo thành mũi ngắn.
Tiếp tục lặp lại kiểu thêu xen kẽ các mũi dài - ngắn cho đến khi phủ kín cánh hoa. Các mũi thêu không cần phải phủ kín hình cánh hoa ngay một lúc. Bạn có thể thử thêu kín nửa trên của cánh hoa păng xê trước, sau đó thêu nửa dưới. Cách này sẽ giúp cho bông hoa trông tự nhiên và sinh động hơn.
- Thử dùng các tông màu sáng và tối để thêu kín những cánh hoa păng xê. Ví dụ, chỉ thêu màu hoa tử đinh hương và màu cà tím sẽ mô phỏng màu sắc đa dạng tự nhiên của hoa păng xê.
- Chỉ loang màu sẽ tạo thêm chiều sâu và sự đa dạng của những cánh hoa thêu mà bạn không phải đổi màu bằng tay.
Những thứ bạn cần
- Khung thêu
- Vải
- Kim
- Chỉ thêu
- Bút chì
- Bút mực xóa được bằng nhiệt (tùy chọn)
Advice
- Don't feel like drawing your own embroidery pattern? No problem! You can transfer a design onto the fabric or use pre-printed patterns or even an embroidery stencil set.
